St. Mary's College (Kansas)
Coordinates: 39°11′31″N 96°03′33″W / 39.19194°N 96.05917°W
| Motto |
Instaurare Omnia in Christo (To Restore All Things in Christ) |
|---|---|
| Type |
Religious School, Society of St. Pius X |
| Established | 1978 |
| Principal | Rev. Fr. Gerard Beck, Rector[1] |
| Undergraduates | 682+ (Academy) (2008)[1] |
| Postgraduates | 50+ (College) (2008)[1] |
| Location | St. Marys, Kansas, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Blue and White |
| Mascot | Crusaders |
| Website | smac.edu |
Saint Mary's Academy and College is a religious school of the Society of St. Pius X located in St. Marys, in the U.S. state of Kansas, 25 miles (40 km) west of Topeka.
St. Mary's College
The original college at this location, St. Mary's College, was founded in 1848 as an Indian mission. The school is the site of the first cathedral west of the Missouri River and east of the Rockies, the 1851 "log cathedral" of Bishop John Baptist Miège, S.J., Apostolic Vicar of Pope Pius IX known familiarly as "The Bishop East of the Rockies".[2]
(School literature refers to Bishop Miege's cathedral as the first cathedral west of the Mississippi. However, Upper California was part of the Diocese of Sonora, which was established in 1779 by Pius VI and, after 1840 it was under the bishop of Alta and Baja (Upper and Lower) California until the establishment of the Diocese of Monterey in 1850.[3] Further, the Diocese of St Louis, Missouri, was established in 1826 and the cornerstone of the current Basilica laid in 1831 on the western bank of the Mississippi river.)
The 465 acre (1.9 km²) college had been operated by the Jesuit order as a seminary since 1931, when the entire theology faculty of Saint Louis University left that school and set up show at St. Mary's.[4] It closed in 1968 as the Jesuit order reoriented itself to other commitments, more in keeping with the new challenges of the day.[1]
Saint Mary's Academy and College
In 1978, the Society of Saint Pius X acquired the property along with 12 major buildings. The school is now incorporated in Kansas as The Society of Saint Pius X, Saint Mary's, Inc. It has no direct ties with the previous St. Marys College.[1]
As of 2014, the Academy had enrollment of over 800 students K-12 and the two-year college had an enrollment above 90 in a liberal arts curriculum. St. Mary's does not have a seminary program. St Mary's offers boarding for students in the 8th grade and higher.[5]
St. Mary's College is accredited by the State, and in 2002, the governor of Kansas formally recognized Saint Mary's Academy and College for the excellence of its educational curriculum. The Academy is not accredited by any accreditation agencies, but does operate with approval from Kansas State Regents.
The school operates its own radio station, KSMK-LP 98.3 FM since 2002.
The Academy teams play in the Kansas Christian League in football and soccer and against some non-league teams.[6][7]
St. Mary's Academy and College is also a traditional Catholic parish of approximately 4,300 persons (2014).[8]
Controversy
In February 2008, St. Mary's Academy made news when a female referee was told that she could not officiate at the high school basketball game. The other referee allegedly claimed that someone told him it was because "as a woman," she "could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs". The Academy denied this "belief". St. Mary's Academy is on the Kansas State High School Activities Association list of approved schools and can play games against member schools, but is not a KSHSAA member.[9]
St. Mary's official reply to the incident was in a press release:[10]
- This alleged reason was neither stated nor is it held by any official of St. Mary's Academy, as evidenced by the fact that the faculty and staff of St. Mary's includes many honorable ladies of talent and erudition....
- St. Mary's Academy follows the directives of the Catholic Church regarding co-education. The Church has always promoted the ideal of forming and educating boys and girls separately during the adolescent years, especially in physical education (Cf. Divini Illius Magistri - Encyclical on the Christian Education of Youth, by Pope Pius XI, 1929 and The Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Religious on Co-Education, A.A.S., 25 (1958) pp. 99-103). This formation of adolescent boys is best accomplished by male role models, as the formation of girls is best accomplished by women. Hence in boys' athletic competitions, it is important that the various role models (coaches and referees) be men.
The school has been reinstated on the KSHSAA's approved school list.[11]
In 2004, the school forfeited a football game against White City High School because the opponent had a girl on the team.[12]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 History of the Site visited June 2011 {http://www.anewimmaculata.org/history.html}
- ↑ Timeline of the Mission and Bishop Miege {http://www.smac.edu/?TimeLine1848to1869}
- ↑ Wikipedia article on the Sonora Diocese {http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Sonora}
- ↑ Dosen, Anthony J. (2009). Catholic Higher Education in the 1960s: Issues of Identity, Issues of Governance. IAP. p. 72. ISBN 9781931576314.
- ↑ About SMA visited June 2011 {http://www.anewimmaculata.org/about.html}
- ↑ 2010-2011 Ks Christian League Standings {http://www.maxpreps.com/league/xavfhAlAO0iNm_psr0mRSg/standings-kansas-christian-aa-(8-man).htm}
- ↑ St Marys Academy 2010-2011 football schedule {http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/M2EEckEC20OpuHGz87auEA/st-marys-academy-crusaders/football-fall-10/schedule.htm}
- ↑ About the SMA Parrish {http://www.smac.edu/?ParishMain}
- ↑ Sports Illustrated February 13, 2008 Kansas HS refuses female official
- ↑ Washington post article with quote {http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/prayingfields/2008/03/gender_and_religion_on_the_bas.html}
- ↑ Kansas State High School Athletic Association Membership Directory
- ↑ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=1228D4632B15A5D8&p_docnum=3&p_theme=gatehouse&s_site=NKSB&p_product=NKSB
External links
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